Doulin
by Vol lady
Summary: Follow-up to "When No One Cares Enough to Look." Audra is kidnapped by someone who leaves a note signed "Doulin," the man Jarrod rescued Cecilia Paine from. The Barkley men move fast to rescue her but is there more than one man involved in this, and if it is Doulin, how are they going to bring him to justice when he owns an entire town?
1. Chapter 1

Doulin

Chapter 1

He had been working hard all morning, and his eyes were burning up, so Jarrod took a break, shut them for a few moments and leaned back in his chair. His first thought was that maybe it was time to get a new chair. He had leaned back in this one so often that it almost toppled over backward when he shifted his weight.

A knock on the door made him open his eyes. His sister was coming in, smiling that beaming smile of hers. Jarrod sat up straight again. "Well, look who's come to see me! Do you have a legal problem I can help you with, Miss?"

Audra came over beside him and gave him a kiss. "Just that legal problem of an older brother I have," she said. "You're working too hard again. It's time for you to take a very long lunch with your sister."

Jarrod checked his watch. "By golly, it is about lunch time, isn't it? Well, if we're going to take a long one, I suggest the Cattleman's, unless you have a better idea."

"I think the Cattleman's is a good idea. Give you a chance to get away from these books for a good long time."

Jarrod got up, fetched his hat but left his gunbelt on the coat tree. "Is this long lunch your idea, or did Mother send you?"

"A little of both. We both think you've been working too hard since you got back from finding Cecilia Paine."

They started out together. "There's a lot of work to catch up on," Jarrod said. "I was out of action for a couple months."

"You'll be out of action again if you don't take care of yourself," Audra said. By that time they were heading out the front door into the street. "You're not as young as you used to be."

"I beg your pardon!" Jarrod feigned insult.

"Well, you're not!" Audra replied. "I just turned 23. That means you're downright middle-aged now."

"Middle aged!" Now he really was insulted. As they crossed the street, he took a good hold on Audra's arm. "I'll have you know I'm as fit and handsome as I was when I was your age."

"Well, I won't argue about that," Audra conceded. "Did you know that several of my girlfriends had crushes on you when I was growing up?"

"Of course they did," Jarrod said. "I was your handsome and sophisticated older brother. I expect some of your girlfriends still have crushes on me."

"Could be," Audra said.

They went into the Cattleman's restaurant and were taken to a table by the window. Audra took to gazing out the window before she looked at the menu.

"Isn't it amazing how Stockton has grown in the last few years?" Audra said. "When I was a girl, I think I knew everyone in town. Now I can sit here and see stranger after stranger go by."

"Mm-hmm," Jarrod agreed as he did read his menu. "And it seems I'm meeting every single one of the newcomers, if you look at the state of my files."

"You're not going to be able to keep up with both Stockton and San Francisco before long," Audra said.

Jarrod put his menu aside. "I'm hiring an associate in each place to keep things going, which means I'm going to have to go to San Francisco in a week or so."

Audra looked unhappy. "Are you sure you're ready for it?"

Jarrod smiled a little. He knew she was still concerned about his search to find Cecilia Paine and his abduction before that, but he said, "There's no reason to worry about me anymore, Audra. I'm doing fine now. That's all water under the bridge. And I have to go take care of San Francisco someday or my secretary there will have my head."

Audra still noted that nasty edge to Jarrod's smile that came along after he'd been abducted by Cecilia Paine's husband. She wondered to herself if it was even related to him losing his wife, and that unhappy visit from Julia Saxon. Life hadn't been very good to her oldest brother over the past couple years – which made it all the more important that she give him her most earnest smile. That always seemed to help him ease up.

The waitress came and they ordered, and then they both took to looking out of the window at the people walking by. Audra sighed. "You'd think with all the new people in town I could find a new beau."

Jarrod chuckled. "You're going to end up marrying Carl Wheeler and you know it. I don't know why you keep that poor man twisting in the wind the way you do."

"Well, if I were certain I was going to marry Carl, I'd go ahead and marry him," Audra said.

"You just want to see if the grass is greener elsewhere," Jarrod said. "Trust me – you don't want to wait too long."

"Do you approve of Carl?" she asked.

"He's a fine man," Jarrod said. "And since when did you ever wait for my approval before you did something?"

"Marriage is different," Audra said. "I'll be bringing a new man into the family, and you'd be giving me away. At least, I hope you would."

"I wouldn't miss it," Jarrod said. "But as father of the bride, I would expect him to ask me for your hand before he asked you."

Audra laughed. "Of course I'd send him to you first, if you promise not to scare him too much just for the fun of it."

"Well, if you send Carl, all bets are off."

Audra spotted a couple saloon girls on their way to work, probably at the newest saloon in town that was further up the street. "Do you think many saloon girls end up getting married?"

"Some of them do," Jarrod said, catching sight of them when he followed Audra's gaze. "Many of them don't."

Audra looked at her brother. "Do men just look at them differently?"

Jarrod inhaled and held it for a moment. Just how was he going to answer that honestly? "Yes," he just said flatly.

"Why?"

 _Oh, she went one step too far_ , Jarrod thought. He laughed uncomfortably and said, "Actually, I think this is a conversation better had somewhere other than in public."

Audra eyed him. "I thought Big Annie's was the only place in town – "

"No, Audra, just let that topic go please!"

Audra smiled wickedly, and Jarrod realized she knew exactly what she was talking about and was purposely baiting him. "I just think it's too bad that some girls have to resort to making a living – that way," she said seriously.

Jarrod thought of Cecilia Paine, how she had gotten away from that way of life that Al Doulin dragged her into, and how he hoped she had found her permanent way out by moving to Kansas City. "Yes," he said. "It is."

They had a nice long lunch together, longer than they'd had in quite a while, and afterward they parted company in front of the restaurant. Audra went off toward the livery where she'd left her buggy and Jarrod headed back to his office.

Just before she got to the livery, Audra accidentally bumped into a man. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she blurted. She looked closely to see who the man was, but she didn't know him.

He just tipped his hat and went on his way.

Audra thought that was a little strange, for a man to bump into a woman and just go on his way without a word, but she didn't give it any more thought. She didn't see the man glance her way as he went around a corner.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Exhausted at the end of the day, Jarrod wandered into the house barely noticing that everyone was already gathered in the living room. He went straight to the refreshment table and poured himself a scotch. He was drinking it down when Nick said, "Hello to you, too."

Jarrod jumped and turned around, nearly spilling the last of his drink. "Not funny, Nick," he said and poured some more.

"Tough day?" Heath asked.

"Just long," Jarrod said, turning around. He spotted his sister sitting beside their mother on the settee, and he smiled at her. "Were it not for my dear sister coming to save me at lunch time, I might not have even remembered to eat."

"You're still catching up after having been away," Victoria said.

"Yeah," Jarrod said and took a seat in one of the vacant chairs.

"Are you going into town again tomorrow?" Audra asked.

"Yes, why?" Jarrod asked.

"I thought I'd get you to take me to the orphanage. I need a few hours more with them."

"I'm probably going to be at the office all day," Jarrod said.

"I have to go in for some supplies after I check the tack room," Nick said. "Jarrod can take you in and I'll bring you home with me."

"Thank you, that ought to work out fine," Audra said.

"Will you be home for dinner, Jarrod?" Victoria asked.

"Plan to be," Jarrod said.

"Good. I don't want you straining that eye too much."

Jarrod rolled both eyes. "Mother, my eye is fully recovered and just fine. Stop worrying."

Victoria smiled at him. "Mother's prerogative."

"If she quits worrying about you, she'll start worrying about one of us," Heath put in.

"Only if you give me cause," Victoria said.

XXXXXXXXXX

Nick and Jarrod worked out that Audra would go to her oldest brother's office if she were finished with the orphans before Nick arrived to pick up supplies. As it turned out, Nick was halfway through his chore when Audra was finished with hers. Nick suggested she run by Jarrod's office and let him know she and Nick would be leaving within the half hour – which meant at about 11:30 in the morning. Audra did that, found Jarrod rubbing his eyes again, and gave him a teasing "Be careful of your eye!" Jarrod knew she was just needling him to echo what their mother had said the evening before, so the dirty look he gave her was just as much a tease.

Jarrod took a short lunch break, but it backfired. By 2:30 he was just too tired to go on, so he cashed it in, fetched his buggy from the livery and headed home. He was riding almost asleep until he got about halfway home.

And then he suddenly spotted someone walking in the road. He woke up and slapped the horse into a gallop, hurrying even more when he saw who it was on foot.

Nick.

Jarrod pulled up beside him. "What happened? Where's Audra?"

"Climb down," Nick said, motioning his older brother to dismount.

As Jarrod reached the ground, Nick handed him a piece of paper. Jarrod started to read it.

"I was heading home with Audra and then the next thing I knew I was waking up in the grass," Nick said. "The wagon was gone and so was Audra, but I found this in my pocket. I think it's addressed to you."

Jarrod read it and felt sick.

 _Barkley – your golden girl for mine. Doulin._

"This sounds like one of your problems, Big Brother," Nick said, and he was sneering when he said it. "You better start talking and tell me what this is about."

Jarrod stuck the note in his pocket. "Al Doulin. He's the man who had Cecilia Paine under his thumb up at Miner."

"So, I guess he's getting back at you for that woman you were looking for who got away."

Jarrod gave the sneer right back. "Come on, Nick. If Al Doulin was kidnapping Audra, why would he sign his name to this note? If _you_ were committing a crime, would you sign a note to that effect?"

Nick eased back, but just a bit. "If it wasn't signed by him, then it was signed by somebody who knows him, and it's still back on you and your crusade."

Jarrod angrily reached and grabbed his brother by the front of his shirt before Nick could react. But when Nick only winced and gabbed the side of his head, Jarrod let him go.

"What time was it you think you were hit?" Jarrod asked, calming down.

"Noon maybe," Nick said. "I think he shot me."

Jarrod looked at a crease of a wound across the side of Nick's head, in his hair. "Are you all right?"

"No, I'm not all right! Audra is missing and whoever left me with this has her!"

"Calm down, Nick. We'll get home and send for Heath. Are you well enough to ride out after her?"

"Yeah, but I gotta get home to a horse first."

Jarrod got back into the buggy and Nick climbed in beside him. "You and Heath can start out as fast as you can," he said.

"What are you gonna be doing?" Nick asked.

Jarrod could tell Nick was still angry with him, and thinking calmly about it, he really couldn't blame him. Al Doulin was his responsibility and his alone. Whoever was behind taking Audra, he'd never have taken Audra if Jarrod hadn't talked Cecilia Paine into leaving Doulin, Jarrod slapped the horse into moving as he said. "I don't think whoever did this has gone back to Miner, but I might find Doulin there and find out something about who did take her, so that's where I'm going. I can be there by dark if I leave as soon as I drop you off."

"You're leaving me to explain this to Mother," Nick said.

Jarrod said, "Sorry, but yes, I am. I know I should be doing it, but I'd rather increase our chances of getting Audra back fast. And I'm sorry, Nick. This is all my fault and I know it."

Nick just grumbled. "Let's just get Audra home."

XXXXXXX

Victoria seemed to go blank when Nick told her Audra was missing. She just stared at him for long moments before she asked, quietly, "Do you know who took her?"

"Somebody who put the name Doulin to this note," Nick said. "I think it was for Jarrod."

"I know it was," Victoria said. "Doulin is the name of the man who had that woman Jarrod searched for."

Victoria turned away then, her mind whirling a mile a minute.

Nick said, "I'm sending for Heath. We're going to go back to where I woke up and start tracking."

"I'll have Silas get provisions together for you," Victoria said, still quiet.

Nick took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. "I'll take care of it. Mother, we're going to find her. We're going to get her back."

Victoria still looked stunned when she asked, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Nick said. "I'll get Silas to give me some salve and it'll be all right."

"Where is Jarrod?"

"He's gone to that town where he found that woman. He's going there to see if he can find out where this Doulin is and if he knows anything."

Victoria finally started crying, and Nick took her into his arms. "Whoever has taken Audra did it to punish Jarrod for taking her away from Doulin, didn't he?"

"Yes," Nick said. He hadn't told her the exact words in the note, but obviously she guessed them.

"Jarrod – oh, Nick, you know how Jarrod can get – "

"Don't worry about Jarrod. He hasn't fallen apart or gone crazy, and he's not going to. Besides, it's a lot more likely Heath and I will find him than Jarrod will. But we're coming after this guy in two directions. We will find Audra and bring her home."

Victoria started shaking, so Nick sat her down on the settee. Then, slowly, she got herself together, and Nick saw the anger start to come up in her eyes. She looked at him with pure hatred written all over her.

Nick said, "I'm gonna have Silas get that food together for us, and then I'm gonna meet Heath on his way in here. That will give us a jump on tracking this guy."

"Be careful," Victoria said, very calm and collected now. "And let me know where you are if you're gone for more than two or three days. I don't suspect Jarrod will, but if you cross paths, make sure he knows I need to know where he is, too."

Nick nodded. "I'll take care of it. You take care of you."

Victoria nodded, and Nick hurried off to the kitchen.

Then Victoria just sat there, her heart turning from fear to anger and back again, moment by moment. But there was nothing she could do except trust her sons to get her daughter back. There was nothing else at all she could do.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Nick was ready to go in less than fifteen minutes. He kissed Victoria good-bye and told her one more time, "Don't worry." She nodded and sent him on his way, but she worried anyway. Her daughter was missing, in trouble, and heaven only knew what kind of trouble her sons were riding into.

Nick met Heath only a couple miles from the house. They pulled up to each other, and Nick handed off a pair of saddlebags, saying, "We can't waste any time."

Heath took them and put them behind him. "What happened?"

"Somebody shot me and took Audra."

"Shot you? Are you all right?"

"Yeah, minor scratch across the side of my head, I'll be fine. We gotta get to where I woke up and pick up the tracks."

"Where's Jarrod?"

"Off to Miner. It looks like this has something to do with the woman he found there and the man who had her under his thumb."

Nick took off and Heath followed along. It was only another half hour or so before they reached the spot where Nick remembered someone coming onto the road. He looked carefully at the wagon tracks in the road and clearly saw them pull off to the left. Without a word, he turned off and went up over a hill, Heath following along.

They followed the wagon tracks in the grass cross country until they joined a road that branched off the Stockton Road. A while later they came to a spot where the supplies it had been carrying appeared on the ground. Nick and Heath ignored them and continued to follow the wagon tracks until another road came in.

And there the tracks disappeared into all the other tracks. Heath dismounted and Nick sighed angrily.

"See anything?" Nick asked.

"Not sure," Heath said. "There are a lotta tracks here. Which horse did you take out with the wagon?"

"Pedro."

"Anything about his shoes that will help me identify tracks?"

Nick tried to remember. His head was beginning to hurt, and that was making his thinking go fuzzy.

Heath tried to help. "Every horse has something, Nick. A chip in a shoe, a loose nail, something."

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking," Nick said. "He – uh – he was leaning a little heavy to his right. I was gonna check him out when we got home."

"Going lame?"

"No, not enough to worry about right away."

Heath looked up at Nick in the saddle. "Enough to be a problem if he goes a long way?"

"Maybe enough to get worse."

Heath said, "Okay, I got him," and swung back up into the saddle. Then he led the way and Nick followed.

XXXXXXX

Jarrod rode into the town of Miner as the sun was beginning to set. He didn't like seeing the place again so soon – especially when he saw the activity around the saloon. On a whim, he hitched his horse to the rail near there and went in.

He knew it was foolish to think that somehow Audra had been taken to replace Cecilia Paine, and she was not there. There were three women who were entertaining the men, women Jarrod didn't remember seeing the last time. He scanned the faces of the men and didn't remember them either. Al Doulin was not in the room.

Jarrod left without getting a drink and made his way to Mrs. Malloy's boarding house. She was sitting out on the front porch, and her eyes got big when she saw him ride up. He smiled, and she stood up, saying, "Well, Mr. Barkley, I never expected to see you again."

Jarrod dismounted and came up onto the porch. "I didn't expect to be back so soon. How are you, Mrs. Malloy?" He kissed her on the cheek.

"Just fine," she said. "You're not looking for Tildie?"

"No," Jarrod said. "She sent me a wire. Thank you for helping her."

"Well, keep quiet about that. Not even my brother knows I helped her get away."

"My lips are sealed."

"Why are you here?"

Jarrod lost his smile. "My sister Audra has been abducted. The man who took her shot my brother and left a note with him. It was signed 'Doulin.'"

Mrs. Malloy frowned. "I'm really sorry to hear about your sister, but that note sounds too stupid for Al Doulin."

"I thought so too, but I thought I'd come here to see if somebody else from here might be the one who took her. Have you noticed anyone's disappeared?"

"No, but I haven't been looking. You staying the night?"

"If it's safe for you to have me."

Mrs. Malloy smiled again. "You come on in and have some coffee and let me feed you better food than you'll find at the saloon."

Jarrod said, "Let me get my horse squared away out back and I'll be right in."

Mrs. Malloy was cooking when Jarrod came in the back door. "You don't have any saddlebags with you," she noticed.

"No time to get them together," Jarrod said. "I wanted to get here before it got dark."

"When was your sister taken?"

"Today, not seven hours ago," Jarrod said. "My brothers are trying to track whoever it was who took her and I'm trying here. I'll have to find somewhere to get some clean socks and other supplies, if I can't solve this quickly."

"There's a small mercantile in Campbell, town not ten miles from here."

Jarrod remembered passing through that town when he was trying to find Cecilia Paine. "I'll go there tomorrow. I take it Al Doulin hasn't left town."

"I saw him earlier today, out on the street. He could still be behind your sister's going missing, you know. Coulda hired somebody."

"I know, but I agree with you, having his name on the note that was left just sounds too stupid for him to be involved with."

"Doulin's not stupid, but he is pretty arrogant. Maybe he thought he could get away with it. Don't rule him out. Supper's ready. Pour yourself some coffee and have a seat."

"Any coffee for you?" Jarrod asked.

"I'll take a cup."

Jarrod fetched two cups from the cupboard he remembered, poured coffee, and took them to the kitchen table. Mrs. Malloy put a plate of ham and potatoes in front of him, then got a plate for herself and sat down.

Jarrod dug in and smiled. "You do serve a fine meal, Mrs. Malloy."

"Thank you," she said. "You know, I hate the reason you're here, Mr. Barkley, but it is good to see you again. We don't get too many men as fine as you going through Miner."

"Do you get many men at all?"

"No," she admitted, "and the ones we get are more likely to spend the night in the jail than at my house. I'd really like to help you find your sister, Mr. Barkley. What can I do?"

"I don't know. I don't know what I'm gonna do myself yet. I'm thinking of visiting the saloon after I eat."

She eyed him. "Be careful if you do. You know what a dangerous man Al Doulin is."

"How did Tildie get away from him?"

Mrs. Malloy sighed. "I'm not really sure. She just turned up here just before sunup, a few days after you left. I gave her the money you left me. I heard she got a horse at the livery and was out of here before the stable boy could find Al Doulin and tell him. Doulin doesn't know where she went, and I don't want you to tell me, either. I don't want him to be able to wheedle it out of me – or threaten it out of me."

Jarrod nodded. "She's safe. That much I'll say, and I'll thank you again for helping her."

"I don't think you got to know her that well, but she's a sweet girl. Just misused."

Jarrod couldn't help but cringe at Mrs. Malloy's words. She was describing what could happen to Audra. Jarrod was certain Audra was alive and would stay that way, but what Doulin or whoever took her might try to turn her into scared the living daylights out of him.

Jarrod finished his meal and got up. "Please excuse me, Mrs. Malloy, but I want to get over to the saloon. I need to find out whatever I can find out, and as soon as I can."

Mrs. Malloy nodded. "Come staggering back here like you did before, if you have to. I'll take care of you."

Jarrod remembered the beating he took and how Mrs. Malloy worried over him that night. "Don't worry, Mrs. Malloy. I'll be a lot more careful this time."

"Talk to my brother, too," Mrs. Malloy said as Jarrod headed out the back door.

Jarrod remembered the sheriff, her brother. Not the most helpful man in the world, but touching base with him was not a bad idea. "I'll do that," he said, and went out the back door.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jarrod found the saloon was more crowded than when he had stopped by earlier, and he found that one of those additional patrons was the sheriff, Mrs. Malloy's brother. He was standing at the end of the bar nearest the door, talking with someone Jarrod did not remember seeing before. When Jarrod came in, the sheriff looked up at him, and looked astonished. Jarrod went over to him, giving him a phony smile.

"Sheriff," Jarrod said.

"The great counselor Barkley," the sheriff said. "Never thought I'd see you again."

"Didn't think I'd be back," Jarrod said. "May I have a word with you?"

The sheriff glanced at a fairly empty corner not too far inside the front door. "Over here."

Jarrod followed him to that corner, noting that there were quite a few sets of eyes following them.

"Why are you back here?" the sheriff asked. "Can't be to talk to Tildie again. I'm betting you already know she's gone."

"I'm here because my sister has been abducted by someone who left a note signed 'Doulin,'" Jarrod said.

The sheriff looked even more astonished. "Can't be Al Doulin. He's right over there, hasn't left town since you were here last."

Jarrod followed the sheriff's point and saw Al Doulin near the bottom of the stairs, talking to one of his girls. "I didn't think it was. What I'm wondering is if whoever left the note is working for him."

The sheriff rubbed his forehead. Jarrod coming back and coming after Al Doulin again was giving him a headache. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"I need to find my sister as quickly as possible. If you can help me with that, do whatever you need to do. Otherwise, just stay out of my way while I do it."

The sheriff eyed him, and then shook his head. "Barkley, you keep asking for things I can't deliver. Talk to whoever you want, but start strong arming anybody or otherwise causing trouble and I'll lock you up. I don't care who you are."

Jarrod looked up at Al Doulin, then back at the sheriff, and then he simply walked over to where Doulin stood.

Doulin looked astonished, but he pushed his girl aside and leveled a nasty gaze in Jarrod's direction. When Jarrod got closer, he said, "You just can't stay away from trouble, can you, Barkley?"

"More like it won't stay away from me," Jarrod said. "And I'm not running from it."

"What do you want back here?"

"You know what I want. My sister's been abducted, and you're behind it."

Doulin began to laugh. "I don't even know who your sister is, Barkley. What would I be doing abducting her?"

"Your name was on a note left behind. Said 'your golden girl for mine.'"

"Do you think for a minute I'd be stupid enough to leave a note like that if I took your sister?"

"Stupid, no. Arrogant, yes."

Doulin glanced up at the sheriff, who was standing at the bar again but watching him and Jarrod. Then he looked at Jarrod again. "I don't know anything about your sister. I've been right here since you left the last time you darkened my door."

Something in the man's expression made Jarrod smile an ugly, knowing smile. He'd read hundreds of witnesses over his career. He knew lying when he saw it. "I'll find her, Doulin, and if you've hurt her, I'll kill you."

Doulin chuckled

A bad move on his part. Jarrod knew he could not flatten the man in this room full of his people, but he said quietly, "I will kill you, and I won't have a moment of regret about it."

Jarrod turned and left the saloon, but he did not go far away. He found the shadowed nook where he'd hidden when he was waiting for Tildie to leave the saloon the last time he was here. He made sure no one was watching when he slipped into it. He pulled his tie off, put it in his pocket, and opened the top two buttons of his shirt. And he settled in to watch.

XXXXXXXX

Nick and Heath found their wagon abandoned by the road they were traveling just before dark. The horse was missing, and it was easy to see that it had been unhitched and ridden off, undoubtedly with the man who had abducted Audra. She was on horseback now, too.

"We're only about half an hour from that town Jarrod found this fellow Doulin in," Nick said.

"Miner," Heath said, nodding. "All signs say he's taking Audra there."

"Doesn't make any sense," Nick scowled. "Why would anybody kidnap a girl, sign his name to the note and then take the girl to the town where he knew her brothers could find him?"

"I don't know," Heath said. "Reckon we can ask him when we find him."

"I expect Jarrod's already found him."

"He might could use our help if he has."

On that note, Nick and Heath hurried along, giving up the tracking. It was too dark, and it probably wasn't necessary anymore.

XXXXXXX

Audra sat in a dark room, gagged, her hands tied in front of her. She was terrified, but only partly for herself. What she couldn't keep out of her mind was what happened when she was taken.

 _Nick was driving her home in the wagon, talking jovially about all of his friends who were attracted to Audra, but she, of course, showed them no interest. She had teased him that she'd pay more attention to them if they weren't always dusty and dirty and smelled like cattle, and then, suddenly she heard the shot. She turned around fast to see where it came from, but she turned back when she felt something odd beside her._

 _Nick was gone. The horse was speeding up and the reins were flapping uselessly. Audra could only hold on for all she was worth, but then a man she didn't know rode ahead and grabbed hold of the horse._

" _Nick!" Audra yelled and jumped out of the wagon. She could see him lying still in the road, about 100 yards back. She ran for him, but the man who had stopped the horse grabbed her._

" _You stay right here, Missy," he said._

 _She saw his gun was drawn. She looked at him. She recognized him – the man who bumped into her on the street the day before. "My brother's hurt!"_

" _That's his problem," the man said._

 _Audra tried to twist out of his grasp. "Let me go!"_

" _You got one choice, honey," the man said. "You can come with me, because if you don't, I'm gonna drag you back up to your brother and let you watch while I finish things off for him."_

Audra had hesitated only a moment before she went where this man, whoever he was, told her to go. She climbed in the wagon and while he held a gun on her and rode beside her, she drove overland to another road. After a while, he stopped her and ordered her to throw the supplies out of the wagon. After she had done that, he had her climb back in and drive where he ordered. It wasn't even dark yet when he ordered her out of the wagon, unhitched the horse, and climbed onto it, ordering her onto his horse. Soon after that, the man took her to a house on a hill that overlooked a town she did not know. He took her in, tied her hands and gagged her, and here she still was as night set in.

She was hungry, but no one fed her. She was shut up in a small room, but she could hear the man moving around in the bigger living room and kitchen area on the other side of that closed door. Audra had struggled with the ropes tying her hands at first, but it was soon clear they were too tight for her to do anything with. She tried climbing out a window even with her hands tied, but that didn't work either; the windows were stuck solid, and the man would hear the glass breaking if she tried that. She was trapped.

And she was trapped not knowing whether Nick was alive or dead. After he'd been shot out of the wagon, she didn't see him move at all. She tried hard not to fear the worst – the man did threaten to finish him off – he wouldn't have done that if Nick was already dead, would he? Audra's mind kept turning around and around and she honestly did not know what to do.

She tried to keep thinking that Jarrod and Heath, at least, would come after her, even if the worst had happened to Nick. If Nick were alive, he'd come too, if he could. She tried to keep thinking that they would find her.

Then she thought of her mother. Dear God, she was home alone, worrying about her, either grieving or fretting over Nick and worrying about her brothers, too. Audra went from tears to courage and back again over and over as she listened to the heavy footsteps on the other side of the door. She finally just fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Nick and Heath rode quietly into the town of Miner noticing right away that the only activity was at the one saloon. The hitching rails in front of the place were full of horses, so they rode over to the rails across the street, near the sheriff's office. They dismounted and planned to go over to the saloon.

But they heard a whisper. "Nick, Heath – "

It came from a dark alley beside the sheriff's office. They looked close. Knowing who it had to be who was calling them, they looked around to be sure no one saw them as they stepped into the shadows.

"I didn't expect you this quick," Jarrod said quietly.

"Whoever took Audra didn't really try to cover his tracks," Heath said.

"Find out anything yet?" Nick asked.

"No," Jarrod said. "I'm too familiar a face around here. Why don't you two spend some time in the saloon and play dumb? Don't let on you're looking for Audra. Make like you're just passing through. Don't use Barkley for a last name, anywhere, not even with the sheriff."

"Thomson is handy," Heath said with a grin that his brothers heard rather than saw.

"You got a room here?" Nick asked.

"Boarding house at the end of the street, but don't let on you know about it until you hear it from somebody other than me," Jarrod said.

"How long you plan to stay right here?" Heath asked.

"Till the saloon empties out," Jarrod said.

"Well, let's go nose around," Nick said.

Carefully, looking to be sure no one saw them, Nick and Heath left the alley and went across the street to the saloon. When they stepped inside, they looked around before they did anything else.

"Poker game over there in the corner," Nick noted.

"You see anybody who looks like he might be Doulin?" Heath asked.

"No, but let's not let on we're interested in him," Nick said. "Let's just have a few beers and see what happens."

Almost as soon as he'd said it, one of the saloon girls came up to them, smiling. She was darned pretty. They had to smile back. "You two aren't from around here," she said.

"No, we're just passing through," Heath said.

"Where you headed?"

"North," Heath said and left it at that.

"Got names?" she asked.

"I'm Nick," Nick said. "This is my brother, Heath."

"I'm Shirley," she said, taking Nick by one arm and Heath by the other and leading them to the bar. "Let me help you have a good time in Miner."

XXXXXXXX

The man who had taken her opened the door to the small room Audra was in, and the light from the outer room woke her up. She had no idea what time it was. She was really hungry and could stand to visit the small house in the back, but gagged, she couldn't say so.

Out of her sightline, there was the sound of another man coming into the house. There were voices, muffled sounds she couldn't understand. Then it sounded like the second man left, and the man who had abducted her came into the room. He pulled her up off the floor and took her out back, loosening her gag and wrists long enough for her to use the little house, and then he brought her back in and fed her. Audra figured it had to be the middle of the night – why was he feeding her now? But she ate the dreadful ham and potatoes he provided. The man said nothing except to warn her repeatedly not scream out. As soon as she was finished, the man tied and gagged her again and threw her back into the room she had been kept prisoner in before.

She felt better physically, but as she huddled on the floor against a wall, her despair grew. How were her brothers ever going to find her here? Were they even anywhere near this town?

She didn't know they were not even a mile away.

XXXXXXX

Nick and Heath had finished several beers, watching the customers and the saloon girls, before a place opened up at the poker table. Shirley had left them but came back just as Heath was heading for the opening. Nick gave Shirley his best smile, and Shirley asked, "How about it, Nick? Care to go upstairs for a while?"

Nick's smile grew. "How long a while?"

"As long as you like," Shirley said.

"Heath!" Nick gave him brother a call.

Heath was sitting down at the table and looked over. Nick just pointed upstairs. Heath got the message and began to play poker, while Nick followed Shirley upstairs.

There were three rooms off a hallway that was not visible from the saloon downstairs. Shirley took Nick by the hand and led him to the farthest room. In a moment, they were together, alone, and Shirley was pressing her body against Nick's.

"Why take it so fast if I have as much time as I like?" Nick asked.

Shirley kissed him and ran her hand down the front of his shirt. "Some men like it fast, so they can go back to the drinking."

"I'm not 'some men,'" Nick said.

"Oh, I'll bet you're not," Shirley said, and Nick chuckled.

XXXXXXXX

"Last call!" a man yelled, and Heath looked up. He hadn't noticed the man before now, but he suspected this was Al Doulin, since he was acting like he owned the place.

Heath played his hand and lost, and then bowed out from the game as it started to break up. As he got up, he faked being a bit drunk and headed upstairs. When one of the other patrons grabbed hold of him, saying "The door's this way, friend," Heath smiled a little and pointed upstairs. "Looking for my brother," he said and winked, and the other man just grinned and moved on.

Heath made his way upstairs, and no one else stopped him. As soon as he got into the hall on the second level, he started knocking on doors and calling quietly, "Nick?" He heard mumbles from each of the first two rooms that basically told him to mind his own business. At the third room, after several seconds, Nick came out.

"What she do? Fall asleep?" Heath asked quietly.

Nick gave him a dirty look, and the two of them headed downstairs.

The man Heath thought might be Al Doulin was standing in the saloon, herding men out, and he looked upstairs when Nick and Heath came down. Heath faked his uneven walk again; Nick wore a big smile. As they passed Doulin, Nick asked, "Anywhere a man can get a cheaper room in this town?"

Doulin did not laugh. Heath said, "Somebody said a boarding house, end of the street," and the two Barkley men went out.

They unhitched their horses and walked them up to the place that looked like the boarding house.

From the alley across the street, Jarrod watched them go, and a few minutes later he watched Al Doulin close up and walk in the opposite direction down the street. Jarrod gave him a bit of a lead and then followed through the shadows as far as he could. Then he watched Al Doulin leave town and head uphill.

XXXXX

Al Doulin came to the house where his accomplice was holding Audra. "Have you fed her?" was all he asked the man.

The man said, "No."

"Well, take her out back and then feed her," Doulin said. "I'll be back in the morning."

Doulin then left and went back down into town. Jarrod saw him coming and ducked into another shadowed alley. Doulin went by, and Jarrod watched him return to the saloon, let himself in, and lock up behind him.

Jarrod went back to the boarding house then, and found his brothers sitting on the front porch. "Evening," Jarrod said, as if he were talking to strangers. "Name's Barkley."

"Thomson," Heath said as Jarrod shook his hand. "I'm Heath. My brother Nick."

Jarrod shook Nick's hand, and then they began to talk quietly.

"I just saw Doulin leave town on foot and then come back," Jarrod said.

Nick grunted. "My girl Shirley says Doulin has a house just outside of town but sometimes he sleeps at the saloon with one of the girls. Guess that's what he's doing tonight."

"Your girl Shirley?" Jarrod asked.

"She fell asleep," Heath said.

"Not before she told me about Doulin and his house," Nick said.

"Well, he went up to that house for something," Jarrod said.

"Maybe we oughtta see what's up there," Heath said.

"Your horses still saddled?" Jarrod asked.

"Yep," Nick said, nodding toward the hitching rail in front of the house, where their horses stood alone.

"Why don't you ride uphill, on this road on the other end of town," Jarrod said. "When you see a house, ride on past it about half a mile and wait for me. I'll saddle up and meet you there."

"If there's no house?" Nick asked.

Jarrod sighed. "There will be a house. I'd bet Al Doulin's life on it."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Well, I'm not gonna ask where you're going or who those two men I just took in are," Mrs. Malloy said as she heard Nick and Heath ride out and watched Jarrod head for the back door. "But I am gonna tell you to be careful. You know how dangerous Al Doulin can be. If he has your sister, he could just kill her if you don't play your cards right."

Jarrod saw the dead serious look on her face. "I'm not taking him for granted, Mrs. Malloy. But I do have to get my sister out of his hands, preferably tonight."

"If you do get her out tonight, you best keep right on going until you get home. Doulin checks the house every morning when he's spent the night in town. So my brother says."

Her brother, the sheriff. "Anything else I should know that you feel comfortable telling me?"

"Oh, I'd tell you anything I knew," Mrs. Malloy said with a smile. "I just wish I knew more to tell."

"Well, if we don't find my sister, we'll be back here, so can you leave the door open?"

"Just don't come back all beat up again," Mrs. Malloy said with a slight smile.

Jarrod gave her a kiss on the cheek. "If I don't come back, don't fear the worst. And if you ever get to Stockton, come see me, please. I owe you more than I can ever say."

"There is one more thing you can do, if you can."

"What's that?"

"Get rid of Al Doulin. Jail him or shoot him or whatever you can do and not get into more trouble. Miner needs him to be gone."

Jarrod squeezed her hand. "I'll do what I can."

XXXXXXX

Jarrod saddled up and rode out of town, at a slow pace until he cleared the town streets and began to head uphill. It wasn't long before he saw a house with one light on inside. He slowed again, passing the house quietly, looking to be sure no one was coming to the window to see who was coming by. Once he passed, he picked up speed one more time. Anyone inside should hear him galloping away into the distance.

Further down the road there was enough moonlight for Jarrod to see Nick and Heath step out from the woods on the side of the road. He pulled up to them and dismounted.

"There's only the one house," Nick said.

Jarrod nodded. "Someone is awake in there, and I know it's not Doulin. I saw him go back into the saloon."

"So what's the plan?" Heath asked. "Go up and knock on the door?"

Jarrod and Nick looked at each other. "Sounds like a plan," Jarrod said.

They walked their horses about halfway back to the house, and then Jarrod and Nick walked a bit farther, tethering their horses not far from the house. Heath waited about five minutes before he mounted up and rode toward the house at a faster pace, sure to be heard. He slowed when he reached the house and stopped in front of the house.

Jarrod signaled him from the edge of the woods right away, and Heath went up to the door while his brothers crept in through the yard.

Heath knocked. It took a minute or so, but someone finally opened the door. It was an ornery looking man who looked like he'd been asleep. "What do you want?" he asked.

"My horse is losing a shoe," Heath said. "I don't know where the next town is. I was wondering if I could use your shoeing equipment in the barn."

"Don't have any," the man said. "Go on to Miner, about a mile down the road – "

He didn't finish the sentence before Heath pushed the door into his face, knocking him down into the house. As his brothers rushed in behind him, Heath kicked the man in the side of the head, putting him out. Heath immediately drew his gun, but no one else was in this part of the house. Heath suddenly fervently hoped that he hadn't just kicked an innocent homeowner into next week.

Nick and Jarrod had guns drawn as they went to the only other door off the main living area. They each took one side of the door, and Jarrod nodded to signal Nick to open it. He pushed it open, and they started in –

They heard Audra trying to scream behind her gag and ran to her. Jarrod pulled the gag off, and Audra immediately yelled, "Heath!"

In the main living area, Heath had his back turned to the front door, but Audra could see someone coming in. Heath turned fast, but not fast enough. Al Doulin had come in the front door and hit Heath across the jaw, dropping him fast. Doulin picked up his gun and had Heath on the floor with the gun to his head.

"Drop your guns or your man is dead," Doulin said.

Jarrod and Nick put their guns on the floor and stood up straighter. Heath lay flat and still on the floor.

"Kick the guns out here," Doulin said.

Jarrod and Nick did as they were told, but they moved closer together to shield Audra from whatever was coming.

"Well, what do we do now, Barkley?" Doulin asked. "You know I could kill you all and nobody would even ask any questions."

"Not so," Jarrod said. "You know I'm pretty well known. If I disappear, men will come looking for me. Did you really think you could pull this off, Doulin? Having this flunky of yours leave your name on a note with my brother when you took my sister? That's pretty damned stupid."

Doulin glanced at his man unconscious on the floor. By the look on his face, Jarrod realized Doulin didn't know his man had left the note. "Yeah, my man here is pretty damned stupid. But what do we do now?"

"Give it up," Jarrod said. "So far all you have to face is abducting my sister. You don't want to add murder to the list, because even if you shoot one of us, the other two will get you and you will standing trial before you know it – if you're still standing."

Doulin glanced down again. Heath's eyes were open. Doulin's man was still out. Doulin looked up at Nick and Jarrod.

And Doulin turned his gun over in his hand and held it out. "Guess you've won again, Barkley."

Heath stood up and took Doulin's gun. Jarrod quickly bent and untied Audra's wrists, giving the rope to Nick. Nick quickly went into the living area. Doulin sighed and held his hands out, and Nick tied them together.

Jarrod helped Audra up off the floor. "Are you all right, honey?"

"Yes," she said. "My wrists are burned. Oh, Nick, thank God you're all right." She fell into Nick's arms.

Nick smiled. "No need to worry about me."

"But he shot you!"

"Minor stuff." Nick kissed her. "Everything is fine."

Jarrod helped Audra out into the light of the living area and looked at her wrists. "A little rope burn. Not much. You haven't been hurt at all?"

Audra understood what he was asking. "No. They didn't mistreat me."

Nick took his bandana off and used it to tie the wrists of Doulin's flunky, who was still out on the floor. Heath climbed to his feet. "You all right?" Nick asked.

"Fine," Heath said.

The man on the floor stirred. Doulin shook his head.

Jarrod said, "Heath, take Audra home right now. Nick, I think you better go with them."

Nick said, "I don't like leaving you here alone in Doulin's town."

"And I don't like Audra out on the road with only one protector," Jarrod said. "You two just get Audra home safe."

"Jarrod – "

"Don't argue with me, Nick. Get her home and come back for me."

"It oughtta be sunup when we get Audra home," Heath said. "Then we'll turn right around and come back here."

Jarrod nodded. "I won't mind having you in Miner if I need you, but I plan to be halfway home by the time you catch up with me."

"I hope so," Nick said. Then he looked at Heath. "Let's get these two on horseback and get Jarrod started into town."

Audra stepped up to her oldest brother and kissed him on the cheek. "Be careful, Jarrod."

"Always," Jarrod said with a smile, then he gave a jovial, "Come on, Al. Let's get you and your stupid buddy here off to jail."

"You're dreaming, Barkley," Doulin said as Jarrod and Heath hustled him out and Nick pulled the other man to his feet. "This is my town, remember? I'll be loose before the sun rises."

"Now _you're_ dreaming," Jarrod said.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Doulin had ridden a horse to the house rather than walked to it, and his flunky had his own horse tethered at the side of the house. The Barkley men got them both in the saddle, and Jarrod mounted his own horse. Taking the leads of Doulin's and his man's horses, he started off for Miner.

Nick, Heath and Audra watched him go until he disappeared into the darkness, then they went for Nick's and Heath's horses in the woods nearby. Audra rode double behind Heath. Their nearly lame wagon horse Pedro was out behind the house. They fetched him and leading him, they were on their way home.

Jarrod didn't get any grief from his two charges on the way to town. Once there, he pulled up to the sheriff's office, and realized he had no idea where the sheriff was. Somewhat reluctantly, he pulled out his gun, and fired it three times into the air. People came running from several buildings, and fortunately, one of them was the sheriff, coming toward his office from the alley beside it.

"Barkley, what the hell are you doin'?" the sheriff yelled.

Jarrod dismounted, pulling his rifle out of its scabbard as he did. "Sheriff, these two men abducted my sister about twelve hours ago. My brothers and I have rescued her and they are taking her home. I want these two locked up and I'm pressing charges against them."

The sheriff saw who Jarrod had, and he moaned. When Al Doulin smiled, the sheriff said, "All right," reluctantly, and he opened his office up. "You didn't need to wake up the whole town about this, you know."

"I didn't want to but there wasn't much choice. I couldn't go dragging these two all over town trying to find you."

In a few minutes Doulin and his man were both in cells. Neither had ever said a word, but Doulin smiled a lot. That didn't worry Jarrod, but having Doulin in his jail did seem to bother the sheriff. "I hope you're planning on sticking around for a while," he said. "I might need some help keeping him now that I have him."

Jarrod didn't want to stay, but he nodded. "My brothers should be back here in a few hours. When does the circuit judge get here again?"

"Never. But assuming we can keep a lid on things, I'll help you move Doulin and his man over to the county seat. The judge there can see to them and the sheriff there can keep them."

"We should start whenever you're ready – now, if you can."

The sheriff shook his head. "Only in daylight. Too easy for Doulin's men to come up on us in the dark."

The front door to the office opened, and Mrs. Malloy came in. She had a fine-looking rifle with her, and when she saw Doulin in a cell, she smiled. "Well, I suspected this was the reason for the gunshots I heard."

"Milly, you don't belong here," the sheriff said.

"I'm staying, Hal," Mrs. Malloy said to her brother. "Word's beginning to get around that you have Mr. Doulin here locked up. You might have trouble before you're ready for it, and I might have more luck running people off than you will. People don't like shooting a woman."

The sheriff heaved a big sigh and stared at Jarrod. "One day, Barkley, I'm gonna get you out of this town for good."

"I hope today is that day, sheriff," Jarrod said, "although I will miss your sister here."

Jarrod gave Mrs. Malloy a smile, and she gave it right back. Then she said, "I'm just gonna sit outside and see who I can run off. You two can keep an eye on me in case I need any help."

Mrs. Malloy went back out, and Jarrod said to the sheriff, "You have a remarkable sister, sheriff."

"I plan to keep her," the sheriff said.

Then the night became eerie. Jarrod and the sheriff stayed inside, but kept a watchful eye on Mrs. Malloy, who sat herself down in the chair in front of the sheriff's office and just watched. There was plenty to see. The saloon girls had come out, but went back into the saloon and stayed there. The men of the town were coming out, going to other men's homes, coming back out. The street was full of men one moment, then empty, then full again. Sometimes men would mill around in front of the saloon, looking over at the sheriff's office, but then they would move away again.

Now and then Jarrod and the sheriff could hear Mrs. Malloy greet someone with a pleasant, "Evening, John," or "Move along now, Sam, Billy." And whoever she was talking to would move away.

Jarrod had to smile as the sun began to come up. With any luck, Nick and Heath had gotten Audra home, and they wouldn't be long in coming back. "I think we ought to wait for my brothers to come back before we move the prisoners, Sheriff," Jarrod said. "They should be here in a couple hours."

"I think you're right," the sheriff said. He was beginning to make coffee on the corner stove.

Jarrod also began to wonder if the sunlight would bring out the bravery – foolhardy as it was – in the local men. Would Mrs. Malloy be all right out there by herself?

The sheriff read his mind. "As long as Milly's out there, I don't think we'll have any real trouble. It's when we move these men out of town that we'll need to worry."

"I appreciate you taking this on, Sheriff," Jarrod said.

"It's my job, and while I don't relish going up against Al Doulin and his friends, I'll do it. But I swear, Barkley, if I ever see your face in Miner again I'll find some reason to lock you in here, too."

"I believe you, Sheriff," Jarrod said, and he looked out the window again. He could see the street more clearly now that it was getting lighter outside. There were two or three men talking out there, and Mrs. Malloy still sat, awake, with her rifle on her lap. Jarrod said, "I do believe you."

XXXXXXX

Victoria was up before the sun was, and so she was wide awake when she heard the horses come in. She ran outside and greeted her sons and daughter in the stable yard, crying, "Audra – thank heaven, Audra."

Audra came into her mother's arms. "I'm fine, Mother. Just a little rope burn. No one hurt me."

Victoria hugged her sons as well – and then she noticed who was missing. "Where's Jarrod?"

"He stayed behind to take care of the men who took Audra," Nick said.

"You left him there alone?"

"He didn't want just one of us with Audra, in case there was more trouble," Heath said. "We're gonna get fresh horses and go right back."

"Don't worry," Nick said. "He'll be all right, and we'll all be back as soon as we can."

As her sons hurried off into the stable, Victoria called, "Wire me if you won't be back by tonight!"

Nick waved a hand to show that he'd heard her.

Victoria put her arm around Audra's shoulder and guided her into the house. "Let me have a look at those rope burns."

"They're nothing, Mother, really," Audra said. "Mostly, I was just scared."

As they went through the door, Silas was there in the foyer. "Silas, get me the medical supplies. Audra has some rope burns."

Silas quickly went to the kitchen. Victoria guided her daughter to the settee in the living room. "Really, I'm fine," Audra said. "The boys found me so fast I hardly had time to really worry. I was afraid for Nick, though. When the man took me, he shot Nick, and I didn't know if he was alive or dead."

"Nick's head is too hard for a bullet to do much damage," Victoria said with a smile. "Jarrod found him on his way home and brought him here. Oh, those rope burns are nastier than you thought. Do you know who took you?"

"It was a man working for this man named Doulin that Jarrod told us about."

Victoria shook her head. "And he left a note with Doulin's name?"

"Apparently, Mr. Doulin didn't know about the note. I guess his man just got too clever for his own good."

"Too stupid, thank goodness. Oh, Audra, I was so worried – "

Audra hugged her mother now. "I'm fine. Everything will be all right."

Victoria felt a twang when Audra said that. Her sons were still out there, dealing with this Doulin fellow, and Victoria remembered how dangerous Jarrod thought he was. "It will be when your brothers get back," Victoria said.

XXXXXXX

The sun was well up, and Jarrod was keeping his rifle in hand and his gaze leveled through the window, to be sure no one was giving Mrs. Malloy any trouble. There were more people in the street now – even a few women. The men kept getting together and then parting ways, just as they had in the dark.

Jarrod checked his watch. The sun had been up for an hour or so. Maybe one more hour and Nick and Heath would be back.

"How about some more coffee?" Mrs. Malloy yelled.

Jarrod had taken her a cup as soon as the sun was up, so he took her another one now. He kept his steady eye on the men in the street, and they stared back at him, but no one made a move.

"How are your guests in there?" Mrs. Malloy asked.

"Quiet," Jarrod said. "Doulin's man is good and awake now, but he's got nothing to say. Doulin glares at him a lot. But neither of them is talking. I'm glad you haven't had any trouble out here."

"I don't think there will be any, not before you try to move your prisoners to the county seat."

"We'll wait for my brothers to get back before we do that."

"Your brothers? Ha! You fooled me. They gave me the name Thomson. I didn't figure you knew them."

"My brothers can be sneaky when they want."

"When you ask them to?"

Jarrod chuckled. "You caught me. I suppose I get them into as much trouble as they get into by themselves – but don't tell them I said that."

Jarrod saw four men near the saloon who were not dispersing. They made him a bit nervous, so he just leaned back against the doorframe, cradled his rifle, and stared hard at them.

And he hoped like crazy that Nick and Heath were already on the road back.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Nick and Heath were halfway to Miner when Jarrod delivered Mrs. Malloy her second cup of coffee. They stopped for a moment to water the horses. They watched the sun coming up through the trees.

"How much longer you think?" Nick asked.

"An hour maybe," Heath said.

"I hope Jarrod hasn't had any trouble."

"That makes two of us. Mother will never forgive us if anything's happened to him."

"You know, we're gonna have to have a talk with him about these crusades of his."

"We already have, Nick. You can't change a man's basic nature, and it's Jarrod's basic nature to right wrongs when he sees them."

"It got Audra in trouble this time."

"I don't think we need to point that out. Besides, you're the same way, and the two of you came by it honestly, directly from Mother."

Nick harrumphed. "Then where did you get it from?"

Heath said, "Well, all right, maybe a bit from Father."

Nick chuckled. "Tell you what – I'll let you be the one to talk to Jarrod about his crusades."

Nick rode ahead before Heath could protest.

They headed off again and picked up the pace a bit. In a little over an hour, they rode into Miner and found a lot of people milling around in the street, near the sheriff's office. They hurried into town, then rode slowly into the crowd and tethered their horses at the rail in front of the sheriff's office.

They found Jarrod and Mrs. Malloy still there in front of the office, Mrs. Malloy sitting down and Jarrod standing at the edge of the boardwalk. Both of them were cradling rifles. Nick and Heath pulled their own rifles out of their scabbards and put themselves on either side of Jarrod.

"Nice and peaceful?" Heath asked.

"About like you see it," Jarrod said. "Can't get them to leave, but they haven't come closer, either."

Seeing Nick and Heath arrive from inside, the sheriff came out and joined the Barkleys. Mrs. Malloy also got up.

"All right, it's time you all went home and finished your beauty sleep," the sheriff said to the crowd.

"Why do you have Al Doulin in there?" someone in the crowd asked.

"That's none of your business," the sheriff said.

"We figure it is," someone else said.

"You only care because you're afraid the saloon won't open," the sheriff said, "but the bartender will open it up just fine at ten o'clock, so you just be on your way home until then."

People looked at each other. Most dispersed and went home. Six men did not.

"Hard core who work for Doulin," the sheriff said quietly to the Barkleys, then said more loudly, "You boys head on out, too. You don't want to get hurt for Al Doulin."

The men stared hard, mostly at Jarrod. They knew he was responsible for Tildie leaving, and now for Doulin being in jail. They slowly moved off, but no one was fooled about them.

"We should move our prisoners out now, but that bunch will be trying to stop us on the trail," the sheriff said. "Milly, you head on home and keep that rifle handy. I don't think anybody will be bothering you, but you best stay alert."

"All right, Hal," Mrs. Malloy said. "Nice to see you again, Mr. Barkley – and both Mr. Thomsons." She smiled a cheeky smile at Nick and Heath as she made her way home.

All the men watched her until they saw her climb onto her porch and go into her house.

"What the hell _are_ your names?" the sheriff asked Nick and Heath.

"I'm Nick Barkley, he's Heath Barkley," Nick said.

"My brothers," Jarrod said.

"You two stay out here while we get Doulin and his friend set to go. Barkley the lawyer, I'll need your help."

Jarrod and the sheriff went inside.

Once inside, the sheriff gave Jarrod a pair of hand chains and pointed him to Doulin, saying, "I'll let you do the honors with your friend there while I take care of his flunky."

Doulin pushed his hands out between two of the bars, to the forearm, and Jarrod pocked the handcuffs on. Doulin kept smiling, directly at Jarrod, but said nothing. Jarrod returned the stare, saying nothing, thinking how lovely it was to have Doulin pay for Audra, if not for Cecilia Paine. Doulin backed his way into the cell as the sheriff opened the door. Jarrod grabbed Doulin by the chains and pulled him out of the cell.

In a few moments, they were out on the porch with Nick and Heath. "I'll get the horses ready," the sheriff said.

Nick grabbed the hand chains that were on Doulin's man, and they all waited the few moments it took the sheriff to get the his horse, Jarrod's, Doulin's and his man's. In fewer than three minutes, they were all mounted and heading out of town.

They kept up a steady, easy gallop, expecting any minute to be ambushed by the six men the sheriff identified as working for Doulin. They didn't really expect to make it very far out of town, and they were right. They had just made it to Doulin's house, where he had held Audra, when the six men came into the road from behind the house, on horseback, guns drawn.

Nick, Heath and Jarrod drew their guns before the six men could react but held them easy at their sides.

"Well," Doulin said, "looks like a standoff. One word from me and my men start firing."

"I wouldn't do that," Jarrod said, and he turned his gun toward Doulin. "You'll go down first."

One of Doulin's men made a move to fire on Jarrod, but Nick saw it coming and shot the man's hand. His gun went flying away.

"If any of you men even look like you're going to fire, I'll shoot Doulin," Jarrod said, "and I will take great pleasure in it."

There was silence for a long minute, and then the sheriff slowly began moving forward again.

One of Doulin's men fired on him, and the shooting took off.

So did Doulin, trying to ride away. True to his word, Jarrod shot Doulin out of the saddle before turning his gun on the other men. Nick and Heath had already put two more men on the ground. From down in the road, the sheriff put two others down – and that was the end of it.

Uninjured, Jarrod jumped from his horse and bent down beside Doulin. The man looked up at him with that cheeky smile of his – and then the light went out of his eyes. Jarrod knew he had killed him.

Nick and Heath had dismounted and were taking care of the men who were down while Jarrod went to the sheriff and helped him up. The sheriff had a wound in his left arm. "It's nothing," he said.

They both noticed then that the man who had abducted Audra was also down in the road. The sheriff checked on him, and then stood up straight, shaking his head.

Nick and Heath dragged over two of Doulin's men, the one Nick had shot the gun away from who had an arm wound, and the only one of Doulin's men who was not hit at all. The other four men were down in the road. "They're not hurt too bad," Heath said. "They can all sit a horse."

"We don't have a doctor in Miner," the sheriff said. "Can one of you ride to Campbell and fetch the doc there?"

"I know where it is," Heath said, and he mounted up and rode off.

"You all right?" Jarrod asked Nick.

"Fine," Nick said. "Heath, too. You?"

Jarrod just nodded and finally reholstered his sidearm. Then he looked down at Doulin in the road. "Too bad," he said. "I'd have enjoyed his trial."

Nick looked down at Doulin in the road, and just shook his head.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The injured and dead men were taken to the Miner jail, and once again the crowds began to gather. Mrs. Malloy came back with her rifle and sat down in front of the sheriff's office. The crowds dispersed when the saloon opened.

As soon as Heath returned with the doctor, the sheriff said, "We'll be all right here. You men better head home, and don't let me see your faces around Miner again, you hear me?"

"You sure you don't need help, at least for today?" Jarrod asked.

The sheriff shook his head. "As soon as these men are patched up, I'm gonna cut them loose. They won't cause any more trouble now that Doulin is gone."

"There will be someone else to replace Doulin, you know."

"I know, but I've got a few men I know who might be willing to come over to my side now that Doulin is gone, and I think we can keep the lid on. Now get on out of here, and don't come back."

Jarrod nodded and joined his brothers outside. He stopped for a moment to give Mrs. Malloy a kiss on the cheek. "Once again I have to say I will miss you, Mrs. Malloy."

She smiled. "You just watch yourself from now on, Mr. Barkley. Stay out of trouble."

Nick and Heath overheard. Nick cleared his throat very loudly, and Jarrod gave him a dirty look.

XXXXXXX

They made it home by early afternoon, and after cleaning up and eating some lunch, the family settled in together in the living room to unwind.

Audra thanked her brothers for the n'th time for rescuing her. "I still can't believe you got to me as quickly as you did."

"Thank Doulin's stupid flunky for leaving that note with me," Nick said. "If he hadn't, I'm not sure we'd have known where to look."

"I'd have known," Jarrod said. Then he seemed to think for a moment, and he nodded. "I'd have known."

"You expected Doulin to try something after Cecilia Paine left him, didn't you?" Victoria asked.

Jarrod nodded again. "I did. I knew he wasn't the kind of man to let it lie. But he won't be doing anything like that again. You can rest easy, Audra. He won't be back."

"That will help me rest more easy," Audra said.

They talked a bit longer, but it wasn't long before Jarrod went off to the library. Nick and Heath looked at each other. Heath remembered their conversation on the road to Miner and realized this was his time to go talk to their older brother.

Victoria watched them go, uneasy. She asked Nick, "Did something happen I should know about?"

Nick shook his head. "No, Mother, nothing."

Victoria accepted that, trusting that if there was something, Heath and Jarrod would work it out.

Heath caught up with Jarrod in the library as he poured himself a scotch. Jarrod looked up as Heath came in. "Want a drink?"

"No," Heath said. "You're pretty bothered about everything that happened in Miner, aren't you?"

Jarrod wandered to the window and looked out at the countryside. "Not exactly bothered." He looked up at the confused expression on Heath's face and smiled before he looked back outside. "You remember when you and Nick found me after Levi Paine had at me?"

"Yeah," Heath said. "Couldn't well forget it."

"I had a lot of nightmares about that, even after we got home."

"I know, I heard you," Heath said. "They seemed to ease up after a while, though."

"After Cecilia Paine got away, they came back," Jarrod said, "only it wasn't Levi beating me up. It was Al Doulin."

Heath straightened, wondering exactly what that meant and why it was bothering Jarrod now.

Jarrod said, "I got too much satisfaction when I shot Doulin dead."

Now Heath understood. But, "He was getting away and his men were firing on us."

"I know," Jarrod said. "But I could have ridden after him, and I should have. Instead I just killed him. I was killing Levi Paine and killing my nightmares, not just Al Doulin. I wish I hadn't done that."

"Maybe you really did calculate the risk, Jarrod. Riding after him might have gotten you shot."

"Maybe," was all Jarrod said.

Heath thought for a moment. Jarrod thinking he might have made a mistake with Doulin gave Heath the opening to talk about what he came in for. "I came in here because Nick and I have been worried about you and these crusades of yours."

"Crusades?" Jarrod asked.

"You went off looking for Cecilia Paine and set this whole mess into motion. You tend to do that, Jarrod. You see a cause and you jump right in, and the consequences start falling in on all of us."

Jarrod sighed. "I know. I've been doing that ever since I can remember. Sometimes I don't think far enough ahead – but sometimes what happens isn't foreseeable, and Heath, I can't just stop trying to go after something I think is important."

"I'm not saying what Levi Paine did to you wasn't important, or that finding his wife wasn't important, but it isn't unusual for it to fall in on you _and_ the rest of us," Heath said with his own sigh. "Maybe you can't give up being the way you are, Jarrod, but maybe you oughtta at least try to rein yourself in sometimes. Listen to us when we try to warn you. Maybe quit trying to fix everything by yourself. We tried to get you to take one of us along when you went after Cecilia Paine. You wouldn't listen."

Jarrod scowled. "I was afraid I'd get one of you hurt."

"And what happened? Audra got hurt. Talk to us, Jarrod. When you think you gotta jump into something, talk to us. And listen to what we say, and maybe, like I said, quit trying to fix everything by yourself."

Jarrod remembered ruminating on this exact thought while he was looking for Cecilia Paine. He remembered thinking that it was unfair of him to expect Nick and Heath to keep bailing him out when he went off on his own on one of his "crusades," as they called them. He smiled a little and nodded. "You have a point, Heath. I'll try to remember that."

Heath looked at the refreshment table and said, "I think I'll share that drink with you, Big Brother. Let's drink to Audra coming home safe, and to better times."

Heath poured his drink, and joined his brother at the window. They clinked glasses.

"To Audra, and to better times," Jarrod said.

Heath said, "May the better times come fast and stay long."

Jarrod said, "Amen."

The End


End file.
